DURING MEXICAN FEAST OLD BULLS ARE TORTURED

IN MEXICO ANIMALS ARE DRAGGED 
THROUGH A RIVER AND BEATEN BY LOCALS

http://elpais.com - In Tlacotalpan, Veracruz, local ranchers donate their working bulls for a religious festival. The animals are first dragged through a nearby river and afterwards beaten by local residents - many of whom are inebriated - as they climb back on to the riverbank. The bulls in Tlacotalpan are not raised to fight or run - they live peacefully in the fields, and when the time comes their meat is used to feed the hungry. 
But every year six elderly, tired bulls, donated by their owners, are sacrificed during during the celebrations of the feast of the Vírgen de La Candelaria. The popular annual event in this town of 8,000 residents has angered many animal rights groups.

The bulls are forced to cross the river before being beaten by spectators. At the other side of the river the townspeople wait for them. Hundreds pull the bulls out of the water using a rope. They expect the massive animals to run after the spectators, but the bulls can’t or won’t. Unlike fighting bulls, the breed in question is docile and, they are usually already exhausted and can hardly move by the time they arrive at the festivities. Some of the bulls arrive on the riverbank bleeding from the nose. In past years, some of them have drowned in the river. 
But animal rights organizations believe that these rules do not go far enough. “[The cruelty] should be prohibited and eradicated from our society, especially from religious festivals, which should instead focus on teaching people positive values,” reads a joint statement issued by AnimaNaturalis México, PATAS, and Project ARPA.

This violent tradition takes place in the state of Veracruz, Mexico; the article is written by Elena Reina Muñoz. Many voices from protectionist groups have risen to condemn these traditions. Since 2014, municipality of Tlacotalpan had to enact a regulation under pressure from animal rights organizations and the Ministry of Environment for the abuse were not so blatant. But unfortunately things remain the same. The mayor, Homero Gamboa, has acknowledged: “Despite awareness campaigns about the care of the bull, many attendees flout the rules and try to hit the animals.” This is another example of man's cruelty to animals, but why are there people who enjoy torturing the defenseless? Our spiritual masters have taught us that is due to a greater or lesser degree the consciousness is covered. As their consciousness is said to be retracted, animals can not search to find God. Only conditioned souls in human bodies can search and love God. Among people there are different stages: those who are in the stage of budding consciousness; those who practice devotional service (sadhana-bhakti), situated in the stage of blossoming consciousness; and those who have already reached the love of God (bhava-bhakti), situated in the stage of fully blossomed consciousness. As human beings we have already reached an auspicious condition of life, so we should act accordingly protecting our younger siblings (the animals). We should improve our state of consciousness, change our materialistic view of life and help our neighbors to do the same. We should be concerned, not only in our individual advancement, but also be ready to collaborate in the task of raising consciousness in others and walk with them along the path of goodness. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

[...] We must constantly work to raise our consciousness, which is the potential that God gave rational beings like us. The initial and most basic step to enter into this platform is to stop harming others for personal benefit or gain. And for this, it is essential to become sensitive to animals and stop mistreating them only for our sense gratification. At that time we will be able to enter into the area of universal respect and love between beings. A feature of those who want to change the world is that they feel constantly that life is a bliss [...]. Those who possess this ability should share it with others and educate people in such values, because when consciousness is shared, it is possible together to begin to understand the philosophy of love: then it becomes an endless bliss.

Śrīla Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Mahārāja :
"Love Activists, Activists of Consciousness"
http://voces.huffingtonpost.com/b-a-paramadvaiti-swami/activistas-del-amor-activas-de-la-conciencia_b_2089259.html
http://gurumaharaj.net/
http://vrindaportal.com/
http://vrindanews.com/

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

SURGERY TO INCREASE SEXUAL PERFORMANCE

“EL CHAPO” UNDERWENT OPERATION
TO ENHANCE SEXUAL PERFORMANCE

https://es-us.noticias.yahoo.com - Joaquin “Chapo” Guzman, 58, underwent a drug dealer operation in the genitals to improve sexual performance, a few weeks before holding a secret meeting in the Mexican jungle with actress Kate del Castillo and actor Sean Penn while a fugitive, according to reports. 
CNN in Spanish revealed that information on its website based on the testimony of "an official from the Mexican government" not identified and pointed out that the surgery took place in a hospital in the state of Baja California in northwestern Mexico . Apparently the doctors put “implant” to “increase blood circulation in the area and thereby improve sexual performance leader of the Sinaloa Cartel,” indicating the channel, which does not offer more details.

Experts say that women were “weakness” of “El Chapo”, in his life he had seven known partners, with whom he fathered 18 children. 
According to the Mexican government, the boss had an "almost obsessive interest" in Del Castillo, apparently emerged following she wrote him an open letter in 2012 via Twitter asking him to use his power to do good and be a “hero”.  After that he sent her some flowers and from there they held a secret communication-from September, thanks to a cell phone that the boss bought the actress with some messages of affection.  These messages were broadcast by Mexican media had access to them through the intelligence services. Some of the texts that the actress, were “I moved too much to tell me you take care of me.”

A new revelation in the saga of recently recaptured Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman shows that he suffered from erectile dysfunction and had recently undergone surgery for it. “What's new about this? That Guzman has a weakness for women? He has 18 children, he's married to a woman 30 years younger than him,” said Alejandro Hope, a security analyst in Mexico City. At the end, the most wanted drug lord was held in a sex motel room. Saying “Lord” to these people, it is proof of how sick our society is. The true Lord is God, the Lord is Krishna, the Lord is Jehova, the Lord is Allah. True Lords are Shiva, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad. This “drug lord” wanted to avoid the natural effects of aging. Lord Krishna himself says in chapter 11 verse 32 of the Bhagavad Gita, “Time I am, the great destroyer of the worlds.” He is the true God, the one who is the annihilator, the killer of all. When there is creation, He develops all from their original state, and at the time of annihilation He devours them. Time does not spare any person, whether in the case of a billionaire “lord” of drugs or a penniless and homeless drug addict. This man, hated by many but respected and admired by others, is unable to accept the passage of time and he does not respect the stages of his own body. Men fear him but he fears to look ridiculous against women by their erection problems and low sexual performance - a limitation that naturally comes when one reaches a certain age and it should be tolerated as part of this human life. It is in vain artificially fight against the current of time. Each person should accept his age and act on it. Like winter and summer, planting time and harvest, cold and heat, every stage of life has its reason for being and all of this has been planned by the Supreme Lord, so we must accept everything as His mercy. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The society of human being is naturally divided into eight by orders and statuses of life — the four divisions of occupation and four divisions of cultural advancement. The intelligent class, the administrative class, the productive class and the laborer class are the four divisions of occupation. And the student life, the householder's life, retired life and renounced life are the four statuses of cultural advancement towards the path of spiritual realization. Out of these, the renounced order of life, or the order of sannyāsa, is considered the highest of all, and a sannyāsī is constitutionally the spiritual master for all the orders and divisions. [...]  The human life is meant for attaining eternal and unlimited happiness by spiritual realization.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam - Canto 1 - Creation
Chapter 3: Krishna Is the Source of All Incarnations - Verse 13

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

"CHARLIE, CHARLIE, ARE YOU THERE?"

DON’T PLAY ‘CHARLIE, CHARLIE’
ARE TEENS SUMMONING DEMONS?

www.vox.com - "Charlie, Charlie, are you there?" This incantation is sweeping the nation: teens everywhere are stacking pencils, calling to a demon named Charlie, and entrusting their fates to the predictive powers of leftover loose-leaf paper and graphite. But where did this trend come from, and what does it say about superstition? 
To find the answers, I consulted experts on the psychology of superstition and the Ouija board. What they revealed will help you understand the origins and appeal of this newly popular game. It's played by dividing a piece of paper into four quadrants, each labeled with either a "yes" or "no." If you like, you can also switch out the "yes" or "no" for your favorite member of One Direction, or some other interesting subject.

Then you place one pencil on one line and balance another perpendicularly on top of it. Say, "Charlie, Charlie, are you there?" If Charlie "responds" by rotating the upper pencil towards one of the answers, sort of like a compass, you can proceed to ask more questions. Examples include "Charlie, will I get an A?" or "Charlie, will I get married to my homecoming date?" 
For her article about the phenomenon, Washington Post reporter Caitlin Dewey did some great research. She found that it may be related to an old game from Spain called "Juego de la Lapicera," but we don't know how or when the crossover happened. There is another game called Charlie Charlie that's been played for a while, but it's different and involves pencils held together instead of being placed on a paper grid. At some point, the two games became the phenomenon we know today.

Charlie Charlie is a new teenage craze that's somewhere between a Ouija board and cootie catcher. It's gone viral with the hashtag-friendly name #CharlieCharlieChallenge. As it continues to fascinate the minds and souls of more and more teens via uploaded social media videos, the most important religious representatives warn people of the dangers of inviting evil spirits to get answers. The iconic world evangelist Billy Graham reminds parents that Satan is up to his same old tricks, as everything from cultish films to board games introduce teens to various nuances of contacting demonic spirits. "Curiosity about ghosts and demonic spirits is no new phenomenon," Graham's BGEA reminds Americans. "From horror movies like Candy Man to Ouija boards and the folklore legend of Bloody Mary generations have experimented with occult practices and it doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon." The renowned televangelist Pat Robertson asserted, “Demons are real. They are not playthings and they are certainly not parlor games. For any little kids to begin to play these games and think it’s cool, it’s not,” Robertson said. “They are real. They desire to destroy human beings.” Roman Catholic experts in demonology are also sounding the alarm. “Some spirits who are at the root of that practice will harass some of those who play the game,” said José Antonio Fortea, a Madrid-based and Vatican-approved exorcist for the Catholic Church. Demon possession is unlikely, he said, but participation in the game “will result in other spirits beginning to enter into even more frequent communication. Then the person really can suffer much worse consequences from the demons.” Vedic culture teaches us that those who have died in certain ways may do not receive again a physical body; rather it is difficult for them to promptly take again a physical body. These creatures roam in search of unwary who wish to communicate with them. We must guard a lot of it, not only do not invoke spirits but take refuge in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is in our hearts as internal master; and remember that if we take refuge in the Supreme Lord at the time of death, we can escape from repeated birth and death, and we will receive a spiritual body to live eternally in the transcendental world. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

In the history of humanity there have spread different methods by which people have tried to communicate with ghosts. Under names such as spiritualism, macumba, reading snuff, Ouija board and many other similar invocations or methods of divination. Some others experience with shamanic plants, which facilitate to contact with spirits. These processes have serious consequences for those who perform it, and of course, create a lot of curiosity, especially to those who have no information of the eternal significance of the soul and not know the difference between the subtle body and the gross body. Goethe's famous quote was: "I can not get rid of the ghosts I called." Who used to invoke ghosts, it's likely to be recruited by them to the ghostly world. At the time of his death, he or she will think on the same ghosts with whom he had previous contact and consequently will enter into this ghostly area and could not incarnate again to continue the evolution of spiritual consciousness.

Śrīla Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Mahārāja :
"The Dangers of Communicating with Ghosts"
http://vwonline.blogspot.com.ar/2006/03/vedic-wisdom-online.html
http://www.sabiduriavedica.org/c39-espiritualidad/el-peligro-de-comunicarse-con-fantasmas/

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

INTERNET PORN "HOT GIRLS WANTED"

NETFLIX’S ‘HOT GIRLS WANTED’ 
SHINES AMATEUR PORN INDUSTRY

www.dailynews.com - “Every day a new girl turns 18, and every day a new girl wants to do porn. I will never run out,” says Riley in the documentary “Hot Girls Wanted,” available on Netflix on May 29. The 25-year-old former Outback dishwasher manages a houseful of young women ages 18-21 who have come to Miami to be in the porn industry. He advertises for them on Craigslist, offering a free plane ticket to the Magic City. 
“These girls have grown up in an era where famous people have done sex tapes,” says Bauer. The “pornification” of pop culture has been growing since the 1980s, which coincides with the era of the Millennial generation. Recent music videos from Robin Thicke, Miley Cyrus and a slew of rappers walk right up to the edge of pornography.

Many of these young women are anxious to leave the confines of small-town life behind, and a plane ticket to Miami, home of glamorous lifestyles, promises freedom and fame. A teen, who was captain of her cheerleading squad in a town in Texas, is disdainful of what she has left behind. “What she is trading it in for is “$800 a porn shoot. They do five shoots the first week. That’s very attractive,” says film's co-director Ronna Gradus. 
Many of the teens get into the industry impulsively, for many the excitement fades and it becomes a horrible job and those feelings of freedom and empowerment disappear. And their parents, relatives and friends usually find out about their careers soon enough. Arguments that they are making choices about their own bodies sound specious when all you become is an object fulfilling male sex fantasies, some of them unsavory.

“Hot Girls Wanted” is a new documentary about making it in the porn industry that works as an excellent warning to viewers who might be tempted to try it as a path to success. After an initial montage of sex-positive pop culture, the filmmakers’ implication is that female role models can influence suggestible people into thinking sex work is a path to wealth and fame. The subjects of Hot Girls Wanted are mostly in their late teens, yearning to escape from parental control and make more money than they would at low-paying jobs in a lousy economy. Alyssa Rosenberg from The Washington Post's Opinions section says that “Hot Girls Wanted” makes the point that porn seems attractive in part because other options seem worse. “Do I want to be in my parents’ shoes when I’m their age?” muses Rachel in the movie. “No. I don’t want to go to college, meet someone when I’m in college, marry them, stay in my home town, have a bunch of kids and then die there.” The real shame of “Hot Girls Wanted” isn’t porn itself, but a lack of other, more sustainable opportunities, so girls, playing the part of a porn star, try to find freedom, money and adventure. But this new online amateur porn business isn’t exactly a reliable source of those things, either; it is estimated that most young women will drop out of the porn industry within a few months or a year at most, and also they may be rejected or negatively considered as candidates for future jobs. Our spiritual masters have taught us that as Kali-yuga advances, all moral and religious principles will lose, unwanted worldwide population will increase, there will be great disturbances in the community - murder, rape, war, disease and pests. Likewise, good people, peace, prosperity, happiness and spiritual progress will disappear. Consequently, the world will be in chaos and child pornography, rape and other sexual crimes will be out of control. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

The social and moral implication of the influences of rajas and tamas are described in chapters 16, 17, and 18 of the Gita. Excessive influence of these two ultimately cause suffering. Knowing this, one can understand that pornography involves considerable violence - violence to oneself and others. […] How would you feel if one of the teen porn girls was your daughter, sister, or niece? They are all someone’s daughter, sister, or niece. How do you think their parents feel, seeing their children involved in the pornography industry? Knowledge of the fact that you are instrumental in perpetuating their involvement in this should help you realize just how ugly you become when you implicate yourself in pornography, whether it is on the Internet or elsewhere. It is a violent activity with violent results. 

Śrīla Bhakti Vedanta Tripurari Mahārāja : 
“La Guerra de Kuruksetra: Mito, Historia, o Lila?”
“Q & A with Swami B. V. Tripurari”
Śrī Caitanya Sanga - Vol. III, N° 3 – 23 de Enero del 2001.
http://swami.org/
http://swami.org/pages/sanga/current.php

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

CLIFF JUMPER DIED IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

EXTREME ATHLETE DEAN POTTER
DIES IN BASE JUMPING ACCIDENT

www.sltrib.com - Two wingsuit fliers who leaped to their deaths from a cliff in Yosemite National Park were trying to zoom through a notch in a ridgeline and were airborne for about 15 seconds when they slammed into a rocky outcropping, a friend said Monday. Dean Potter, 43, and his partner Graham Hunt, 29, were both experienced at flying in wingsuits — the most extreme form of BASE jumping, which is a sport so dangerous that enthusiasts keep lists of the dead. 
Dressed like flying squirrels, with flaps between their outstretched arms and legs to keep them aloft, they leaped off Taft Point, 3,500 feet above the valley floor, and would have been traveling at speeds close to 100 mph as they aimed for the narrow gap in the ridge.

Potter thought he had found ways of safely enjoying some of the world's riskiest endeavors. He scaled the toughest vertical faces without rope, and walked barefoot across lines suspended between cliffs. If he fell or became exhausted, he would deploy a parachute. As if that didn't provide enough adrenaline, Potter wanted to fly. 
BASE jumping — renegade parachuting off buildings, antenna, spans (such as bridges) and Earth — is illegal in national parks. Doing it in a wingsuit is even more dangerous, particularly the form Potter practiced, gliding frighteningly close to cliffs and trees before deploying his chute. The park service celebrates Yosemite's role as a climbing mecca, but struggles to stop people from illegally leaping off the cliffs.

From the moment of his death, Dean Potter earned legendary status. One of the most popular extreme sports in the United States and the world, failed in one of his attempts to base jumping in Yosemite park in California. Dean Potter is remembered as free spirit, risk-taker; “He was all about getting the most out of life, and doing what you love and not being afraid to take those chances,” a friend recalled. “Dean was part of this community and had a great impact on the climb. He was a luminaire in the pantheon of the gods of the rally,” said the director of Yosemite, Mike Gauthier, at the Times. Yes, the man took risks without fear. But we do not believe it is something worthwhile to do that. If you put at risk your precious life to enjoy the feeling of adrenaline running in your veins, what you do is not to applaud and celebrate. At least five people have died in BASE jumping accidents in U.S. national parks since January 2014, including the most recent deaths at Yosemite, said Jeffrey Olson, a National Park Service spokesman. It is illegal do this in all U.S. national parks, and jumpers who are caught are fined and have their equipment confiscated, however people continue doing these nonsense. People who lack true spiritual knowledge enjoy maintaining a defiant attitude towards the laws of man and God, laws designed to protect them, yet risk their lives. Our spiritual teachers have already taught us that human life is invaluable, because it is an opportunity to know and love God, and it is completely silly to jeopardize our lives just to take dangerous risks in these so-called extreme sports. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Currently, it is imposed the general idea that “You have to enjoy the world.”  But the concept of enjoyment is dangerous, self-destructive and, in turn, it makes people to put their lives at risk.  More and more people spend large amounts of money on distractions that have no importance, just to satisfy their desires.  Some are poisoned themselves with drugs and alcohol, while others engage in activities that are constantly exposed their health and welfare.  In the rush to meet happiness artificially, man does foolish things, knowing from experience that is wrong and that ultimately end up disappointed. ... However, this type of activity sooner or later, discouraged artificially them, it is a pleasure so brief that fails to meet the expectations of enjoyment. ... We invite you to learn more about the spiritual life, which delivers a superior taste.

Śrīla Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Mahārāja :
“Dangerous Fun” - “Fictitious Happiness”
http://bhaktipedia.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php
http://bhaktipedia.org/espanol/index.php?n=sabidurias_vedicas.diversiones_peligrosas

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

NEBRASKA WOMAN SUING “ALL GAYS ON EARTH”

NEBRASKA WOMAN FILES SUIT 
AGAINST ALL HOMOSEXUALS

www.nbcnews.com - A Nebraska woman identifying herself as the “ambassador” for plaintiffs “God and His Son, Jesus Christ,” is suing all homosexuals on Earth for breaking “religious and moral laws,” according to court records filed Tuesday. 
In the suit, entered into the docket as Driskell v. Homosexuals, Sylvia Ann Driskell, 66, of Auburn, Nebraska, asks in a seven-page, neatly handwritten petition (PDF) that U.S. District Judge John M. Gerrard decide once and for all whether homosexuality is or isn't a sin. The suit doesn't cite any case law under which a judge could make such a determination.

In fact, it cites no court cases at all, quoting Webster's Dictionary and numerous Bible verses, instead, to bolster Driskell's central contention, which is: “That homosexuality is a sin and that they the homosexuals know it is a sin to live a life of homosexuality. Why else would they have been hiding in the closet.” Driskell writes, "I'm sixty six years old, an [sic] I never thought that I would see the day in which our Great Nation or Our Great State of Nebraska would become so compliant to the complicity of some peoples [sic] lewd behavior." 
The suit was noticed by several gay activists and writers. Driskell, who's representing herself, didn't answer a call for comment. The court noted dryly that, regarding to the defendants, “No summons [was] issued.”

A 66-year-old Nebraska (USA) woman recently filed a lawsuit against all homosexuals. Sylvia Driskell's case is called “Driskell v. Homosexuals.” She is suing all homosexuals on Earth for breaking "religious and moral laws." She is representing herself as the 'ambassador' for 'plaintiffs God and His Son, Jesus Christ'. Last Thursday, a federal judge dismissed this woman's lawsuit against all "homosexuals" on the grounds that it failed to request a specific remedy and relied on biblical verses in a secular court. Indeed, Driskell's filing "consists of seven pages of her personal and religious views on the subject of homosexuality," the court explained. Because of these fundamental flaws in the filing, the court dismissed the case. With regard to homosexuality our teachers have already inquired, “What is this phenomenon? How do you face this problem? What it is and what is not? What happens inside a person to be inclined towards homosexuality? Is it organic? Is it karmic, ie by reactions of his activities in past lives? Is it hereditary?” In truth, we do not know well. What we do know is that homosexuality is not something demonic but there are men and women with homosexual tendencies or preferences. We must broaden our vision, open our hearts and live with it. To achieve this we must begin to improve ourselves, purify and qualify us more and more to serve more and more to all, without exception. Everyone should be qualified. ¿Qualify for? To love and to serve others. We should love people as they are, not as you want them to be. Would you love only the people who perfectly fit your ideal man and woman? Well, if you think so then you are staying without giving or receiving love because nobody is perfect. We must put aside fundamentalisms, eradicating our prejudices, change mindsets and expand our capacity to love and achieve real progress in our spiritual life. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

I have had homosexual people who want to join my temple and in fact there are devotees who have undergone sex reassignment surgeries, and are doing important services. Can you condemn it? It is a complicated issue because they also want to be with Krishna. In one way or another they have an issue with their gender identity, and want to dress like the opposite sex and What to do? So life is not easy, in my service I deal with everything. […] It is something that exists, it can also be by psychological repression. There is not a proper way I know to handle this but what I do know is that love should not be excluded. Perhaps even more love in these situations are required. Difficult situations have their reason and devotees in general are not homophobic. They are not hateful towards anyone.

Śrīla Bhakti Aloka Paramadvaiti Mahārāja :
Vrinda Sunday Chats
Conscious Marriages 3/29/15 Part 1 of Chat
http://vrindachats.blogspot.com.ar/
http://vrindachats.blogspot.com.ar/2015/03/conscious-marriages-32915-part-1-of-chat.html

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

PEOPLE RESCUED FROM NEPAL EARTHQUAKE

NEPAL: AMAZING RESCUE STORIES
TRAPPED IN EARTHQUAKE RUBBLE

www.people.com - As the death toll in the Nepal earthquake continues to climb, more amazing stories of survivors are emerging. A 4-month-old baby was rescued from the disaster – 22 hours after the earthquake struck, the Nepal newspaper Kathmandu Today reports (via The Independent). Soldiers searched the wreckage of the infant's collapsed home, but were unable to reach him and eventually left the site, believing him to be dead.
However, when they returned hours later, they heard the baby boy's cries and he was finally pulled from the rubble, covered in dust, but free of any serious injuries. Meanwhile, another man, Rishi Khanal, 27, was rescued from a collapsed hotel after being trapped for 82 hours.

"There was no sound going out, or coming in," he said. "I kept banging against the rubble and finally someone responded and came to help. I hadn't eaten or had anything to drink so I drank my own urine. "My nails went all white and my lips cracked," he added. "I was sure no one was coming for me. I was certain I was going to die." He was eventually saved by a French rescue team that was able to extract him from the rubble. "I am thankful," he said. 
Additionally, a 15-year-old boy was rescued five days after the quake. Pemba Lama, who was trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building, told the BBC he stayed alive by eating clarified butter and drinking water off wet clothes.

The final death toll could reach 10,000 as rescue efforts continued after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that devastated Nepal. However,  after almost a week of heartbreaking news from earthquake-hit Nepal, there were rare moments of joy for rescue teams five days . A baby boy has been rescued from the rubble of the Nepal earthquake after being buried under a collapsed building for 22 hours. Then, a disaster team, pulled a 15-year-old boy from the debris of a seven-storey structure, five days after the earthquake. It was miraculous, and there are more cases of astonishing rescues. Our concept about life and death is always shaken when we face world events like this. In the most unexpected moments comes death, and when all is death around inexplicably life continues. We should remember that so long as there is birth there will also be death in this world. Unfortunately, whatever happiness we hope to attain from this material plane of existence is not real happiness. Our spiritual masters have taught us that we should inquire about these topics, “Who are you?” “Where were you before coming to this world?” “For what purpose have you come here?” “What activities have you performed in your life so far and have they made you happy?” “What activities will truly make you happy?” “Where you will go after death?" No doubt, in the holy lips of our spiritual guides we can get all the answers. Therefore, we must go to them with a humble spirit and ask them for enlightenment about the scriptures in order to understand the right purpose in this life. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

In this world, we are flanked by birth and death, and whatever we do in between these two is temporary. One poet has therefore written, "We are but actors on the stage of this world." [...] Therefore, in the scriptures on sanātana-dharma, the ārya-rsis have said:  “In childhood one is engrossed in playing, in youth he becomes captivated by the opposite sex, and in  age he becomes immersed in anxiety; thus he never  becomes absorbed in thoughts of the Supreme Truth.  In this world we pass our time eating, sleeping, defending and so on; rather, we should consider that the time allotted to us in this body is fixed.” - (Śrī Śankarācārya).

Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Mahārāja :
“Sanātana-dharma: The Solution to World Conflict”
Speech at Śrī Meghalaya Gaudīya Matha, Tura, India - 1/9/1983
Bhaktivedanta Memorial Library - http://www.bvml.org/SBVM/

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR 2015

CHINESE NEW YEAR 2015
HAPPY YEAR OF THE SHEEP

BEIJING (AP) - Chinese were seeing in the Year of the Sheep on Thursday, but with fortune-tellers predicting accidents and an unstable economy, it wasn't exactly warming everyone's heart. “In around June, when it's getting hot in China, the Western economy will fluctuate quite a lot and will be very unstable,” Shanghai-based astrologer Dong Jialing predicted. “But August or September will mark the start of a very stable economic period,” he said. 
This animal sign, which comes once every dozen years, can be said to have an identity crisis. Known variably as the Year of the Goat, Sheep or Ram, the sign's confusion stems from its Chinese character, "yang," which broadly describes any of the ruminating mammals, with or without horns.

Many Chinese prefer to translate it as the “Year of the Sheep” because sheep are more cute and cuddly, and large sheep figures have appeared around the capital's shopping areas in recent weeks. The goat, however, is more likely to be the original meaning because it was a popular farm animal. During the seven-day holiday that started Wednesday, the world's second-biggest economy largely shuts down. 
Many mainland Chinese tuned into the annual New Year's Eve TV gala Wednesday evening, and this year's mascot managed to achieve the problem-solving feat of not being clearly a sheep or a goat. The previous year, the Year of the Horse, is generally considered to be an auspicious time - never mind that Asian airlines had a string of high-profile disasters.

Happy Chinese New Year! Today marks the beginning of the lunar calendar used in many parts of Asia and celebrated around the world. But, are we in the Year of the Sheep or the Ram or the Goat? The confusion stems from a bit of ambiguity in the Chinese language. The Chinese character "yang" describes any of the ruminating mammals, with or without horns. A goat is "shanyang," while a sheep is "mianyang." (A ram is just a male sheep.) The Chinese character "yang" is present in other characters with positive meanings, such as "beautiful," ''auspicious" and "goodness." Still, some superstitious Chinese find the year inauspicious. Some parents say they'll avoid having a child this year. Astrologists interviewed said this year would bring a volatile economy, more transport accidents and windy natural disasters such as tornadoes in the United States and typhoons to Southeast Asia. Feng shui master Clement Chan said he sees a lot of fire this year, and "fire means accidents." He anticipates plane crashes in the first half, but not as many as in 2014. He also sees a lot of road accidents. On the positive side, he sees female managers and company leaders doing well this year. "I think you'll see a lot of female world leaders - they'll achieve something great, actually," Chan said. Beyond the popular superstitions and predictions of psychics and astrologers, one thing is certain: This year will be a new opportunity to try to know God and cultivate our inner being. A new chance that God has given us to reflect on towards where we direct our life. God willing, we have twelve months to improve ourselves, purify our spiritual essence and release of many conditions that for countless ages have chained us in this material world. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

A new year is a land mark in our lives and a time for reflection on where we have been, where we are and where we want to go. It's also time to ponder on our failures and mistakes in our spiritual lives. In the path of Bhakti every occasion and everything is for the purpose of transformation. If the previous year bought sufferings in our lives we can take solace in the fact that all sufferings and punishments in this world are for our healthy rectification. Today we need to meditate on what I really want in life. ... On this day let's resolve to go, with determination, to where we really want to go in life. To achieve meaning filled success in our lives, we need strength beyond ourselves and association of sincere souls. We also need to resolve to take shelter of the holy names of God and soberly remember that today we are one year closer to death. At the same time we need to meditate on our purpose in life and that will guarantee an eternal life, beyond the temporary existence of this world.

Śrīla Radhanath Swami Mahārāja :
“'Bless'-ful New Year 2013”
Talk at Sri Radha Gopinath Temple 
Mumbai on New Years Day, 2012
http://www.radhanath-swami.info/
http://www.radhanathswamionline.com/
http://www.speakingtree.in/spiritual-blogs/masters/wellness/blessful-new-year-2013

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/

OLIVE OIL BUYERS BEWARE!

OLIVE OIL IN FRANCE RIFE
WITH DECEPTION AND FRAUD

www.oliveoiltimes.com - Despite stricter European controls, the olive oil industry in France is still rife with deception and fraud. In their report released this week, France’s Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) unfolded various deceptive trade practices, while warning consumers to be more vigilant when buying olive oil. After visiting 348 establishments last year, investigators identified several areas of concern in regard to the quality, labeling and misrepresentation of olive oils sold in France.
France imports more olive oil than it produces but fraud was prevalent in both imported and domestic products. The agency found labels that were not in French, incomplete or outright false.

Many labels lead consumers astray, allowing them to believe that the oil was produced in France when it was not, or indicated a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) or Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) indiscriminately. Only eight regions in France enjoy Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP) status which guarantees the geographical origin and recognized production conditions. Investigator found labels falsely indicating AOC and AOP status when the oils had not, in fact, been granted the distinction.
Other impermissible claims made on packaging included statements such as: “rich in omega 3”, “no cholesterol” and “rich in antioxidants”. DDCRF advised consumers of olive oil to be vigilant, to be skeptical of less expensive olive oil and to contact them should they find their olive oil “suspicious.”

After visiting nearly 350 establishments last year, French investigators from the Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control, identified various fraudulent practices related to the quality, labeling and counterfeit of olive oils sold in France. This article, written by Alice Alech from Olive Oil Times, says that the DGCCRF's report finds that in many cases there was no indication of provenance on the labels and the compulsory country of origin was not indicated on 8 percent of olive oils analyzed. There were also concerns about best-by dates on products when producers were unable to provide suitable records to justify the dates on the labels. Investigators also found containers labeled ‘dried tomatoes in olive oil’ but on examination were found to contain only sunflower oil. In view of so many flaws or inconsistencies in the product descriptions, consumers of olive oil are advised to be cautious and alert for possible fraud that can affect both their health and their pocket money. In the ancient Greece, the Olympic Games winners were awarded olive leaf crowns and olive oil. But the "purity" of that oil is difficult to be available today, especially because in this Kali yuga there is a strong tendency toward fraud. Since we live under so much suspicion, misunderstanding, and self-deception it is not surprise that the majority of olive oils on your supermarket shelf don’t deserve the title of “extra virgin” due to contamination, rancidity and poor manufacturing. (Editor's note).

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

Vaishnava philosophers have discovered that all the mistakes we are guilty of making originate from (1) error, (2) inebriation, (3) the shortcomings of our senses and (4) an inclination to deceive others, and by these our boldest and strongest thoughts are lost. [...] A general inclination for deception creeps into our heart when we take a one sided view and establish facts or theories with the greatest assurance. All people are subject to fall victim to these defects. The only exception is God Almighty and His associate counterparts, who remain within the Absolute Truth. God is all-knowing, all-powerful and all-blissful. He is omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent, and none like Him can be found anywhere. He is one without a second and possesses infinite powers.

Śrīla Bhakti Saranga Gosvami Mahārāja :
“God-realization” 
“Omnipotent God Beyond Error”
http://www.bvml.org/SBSGM/
http://www.bvml.org/SBSGM/gr.html

Published by dasavatara das - “Vedic Views on World News”
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/